


I'll Be There For You Through It All

by dearmrsawyer



Category: Firefly
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-18
Updated: 2011-03-18
Packaged: 2017-11-26 16:52:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/652403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dearmrsawyer/pseuds/dearmrsawyer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon keeps watch over River while she sleeps.</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll Be There For You Through It All

Her sallow skin bore a yellowed tinge in the lamp light. Only under the bunk lamp did she have any colour at all. Even under the Sun, River didn’t have a healthy complexion. Simon wondered how long she had been isolated in order for her skin to pale so deeply that no amount of days on land could help her.

Every night Simon would come and sit by River’s bed to try and aid her to sleep. Her sense of safety was non-existent without him and Simon knew it. It was almost impossible for her to approach relaxation in his absence. However, even when finally asleep she seemed tense. Her tight posture and unsettled expression told Simon that she was not only haunted by her conscious mind, but beyond it. She would stir and moan while asleep, and Simon could do little but be there in case she woke. He would never wake her himself; she had confessed that nothing her subconscious mind could show her was worse than her active thoughts.

She slept in a foetal position, curled in on herself, hands balled and head resting on her chest. Her stringy hair clutched her forehead, perspiration beading. Even now, months after her rescue, River had shown little improvement. Simon didn’t know what he could possibly do for her, but he buried this thought at the back of his mind. He could not let himself think that he had reached the end of the road now. Hope for improvement was not only all he had, but all River had; and it was more important than anything that she could hold on to that.

Simon adjusted himself in his seat. River’s blanket had slipped from her shoulder, revealing bare skin he feared would grow cold. The pearlescent glow was evident beside his own hand, white as it was, as he slowly covered her up. He was careful not to touch her himself; she was sensitive to human contact, and even towards her own brother did not take kindly.

Simon’s burden was, although different to River’s, equal in weight. His fears did not parallel hers, but his concern for her welfare and their safety outside Alliance plagued his thoughts at almost every waking hour. Even on Serenity, Simon was not certain of their safety. Their outlawed status was a threat to everyone on board, and it was clear they were not always welcome. The Captain had been kind enough to consider them part of his crew, and members of the ship had been of a great comfort at times to River. But there were those who resented his presence. Simon was not comfortable having River just wonder where ever she liked; he’d often find her kneeling somewhere or sitting in a corner, head in her hands and tears cascading down her cheeks. Simon would try to calm her and reassure her of her safety here, but it troubled him that in his mind, he wasn’t so sure of this. With a strong heart, Simon told himself that it didn’t matter what he thought or knew; his primary role here was taking care of River. He was her big brother, it was his duty.

With a sigh, he lifted himself out of the seat and walked out of the small room, leaving on River’s lamp. He suspected she would be more comfortable waking to a warm glow than a dim ship. Entering his own room just opposite hers, he settled into his own bed and relaxed his eyes, preparing to repeat the cycle over again tomorrow. 


End file.
